Community Mourns Family Killed In West Philadelphia Store, Manhunt Underway

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Police have released surveillance video that shows two suspects wanted in connection with the Tuesday night murders of three people in West Philadelphia.

In the video, the two suspects can be seen approaching, then fleeing Lorena’s Grocery Store during the time of the tragic murders of the store’s owner identified by police as Porfirio Nunez, his wife, Juana Nunez, and his sister Lina Sanchez. (see related story)

Wednesday evening, community members stood shoulder to shoulder to pray and cry for the three lives lost just a day earlier.

Police say five family members were inside the store at the time of the shooting and two survived. One of the survivors spoke to Eyewitness News.

“When they first started shooting my auntie, the other guy was next to me and asked me for money. I gave him everything, everything.”

For her safety, we are not identifying the store owner’s daughter who, along with her younger sister, was behind the counter at the time of the shooting, begging for their lives.

“The other one was about to kill me, I was supposed to be the last one and I asked them not to and they didn’t because I wanted to see my parents but they were gone.”

Lt. Norman Davenport with the Philadelphia Police Department explained, “Mr Nunez, likely unaware of the robbery approaches the front of the store from the rear where he is shot by one of the gunman.”

Police say one of the suspects then went to the back of the store and shot and killed his wife and sister for no apparent reason.

Lina Sanchez’s son, Javish, recalled what he found upon arriving at the store, “She had a lot of blood and I touched her belly. I said, ‘Can you hear me?’ And she said yes, she was still breathing but that was it.”

The store owner’s daughter added, “They were there with the guns and they just killed them, killed them three like it was nothing.”

Police describe the suspects as black males, both approximately 25 years-of-age, one standing about 5’4″-5’6″, with a thick build, mustache wearing a black hat, and a black shirt. The other is believed to be about 6 feet tall, thin build, wearing a black hat, and a long sleeve white shirt/thermal shirt with a black “T”-shirt on top.

The Citizens Crime Commission is posting a $1,000 reward for information leading to the Arrest and Conviction of the two individuals responsible for the shooting.

Information should be called in to the Crime Commission Tipline at 215-546-TIPS, or to the Philadelphia police by dialing 9-1-1.